Internet and Technology

As VoIP traverses the path to mainstream, new developments in Internet technology continue to impact the growth of broadband telephony. One such new technology that is expected to sustain, if not help, VoIP to gain a wider acceptance is the fourth generation (4G) in cellular wireless technology, which succeeds the 3G systems currently in use. The competing 4G technologies are expected to provide secure broadband connectivity with giga-bit speeds that are perfect for demanding applications that require high-bandwidth and top-speeds, such as online gaming, multimedia streaming and IP-telephony.

Some mobile carriers have rolled out the infrastructure and equipment necessary to deploy the new technology, such as the 4G system implemented by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo in Scandinavia. Moreover, the market release of the first ever 4G mobile phone – the HTC EVO 4G – this year signals the beginning of a new era in mobile connectivity.

Competing 4G technologies

The most striking aspects that define 4G technology are the high-throughput requirement (up to 1 Gbit/s); the ditching of the CDMA radio technology used in 3G systems in favor of multi-carrier transmission using frequency-domain equalization schemes; and the use of multiple intelligent antennas for transceivers. Although there are quite a number of implementations proposed for 4G, two candidates have so far succeeded in attracting the most number of investors and adherents: WiMax and LTE.

WiMax stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, a telecommunications protocol that delivers ‘last-mile’ wireless broadband access. The current version of WiMax (802.16e) offers up to 40 Mbit/s, still way below the 4G standard, but the imminent IEEE 802.16m revision is expected to ramp up the speed to up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed connections.

LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, a standard that improves on the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) that was part of the 2008 revision of the 3G systems. The first release of LTE also falls short of the 4G standard on throughput – and for this reason the release was called 3.9G. The two largest mobile carriers in the US – Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility- have announced that they will convert their existing systems into LTE beginning 2011.

VoIP and 4G

One or both of the competing 4G protocols are expected to provide all-IP networks with high-bandwidth and low-latency. The 4G standards are expected to integrate voice services on top of the data stream, to give voice calls made via cellular or VoIP connections unmatched clarity and quality.

WiMax is a form of wireless Ethernet like WiFi, but the former offers more in terms of reach (WiMax signals can cover several kilometres), sustained throughput and quality of service. However, Wimax runs on the licensed radio spectrum unlike WiFi which is on the unlicensed and unregulated bands. LTE, on the other hand, is more similar to mobile cellular systems but it does offer mobile broadband capability that is useful for packet transmissions.

Both these technologies would be great for mobile VoIP calls, although it remains to be seen if the cost per call in either system will be reasonable compared to current costs of cellular calls.

Article by Syedumair Hashmi

VoIP offers a slew of advantages to organizations, making the technology a hot favorite in business circles and helping them condition their network according to the demands of today’s business needs. However, they need to hire the right VoIP service provider to attain their objectives.

VoIP has turned over the predictions of many a communication industry pundit head on who initially put forth the view that it will never become the front line mode of communication. Today, all industry sectors are gradually moving to business VoIP from the conventional PSTN (Public Switch Telephony Network) system. The shift has taken its time, but it is decisive.

VoIP based communication not just helps the businesses bring their telephony bills down, but also improves the way they function in the today’s competitive scenario. It offers a slew of advantages to organizations, making the technology a hot favorite in business circles. It helps them condition their network according to the demands of today’s business needs. An organization which lags behind in implementing the technology finds pulling itself hard in the rat race with the competitors.

VoIP enables features such as Instant Chatting in accelerating business cycles and promote collaborative team culture. Many a time, people prefer Instant Messaging to phone. Web based conferencing is another mode of communication powered by VoIP. Conferences have become an integral part of any business whether it is big or small. It offers the option of video conference with a group of people located all across the world, thus negating any need to fly across thousands of miles just to attend a business meeting.

Conventional PSTN networks cannot support such modes of communication. Additionally, with VoIP technology, users can opt for DID numbers that are ideal for organizations which are operating from different countries. It gets them to get international phone calls from overseas customers without their customers being aware of the fact as they are charged locally for it. The service is particularly beneficial for call centers as they need to provide customer service to people residing in other countries.

‘Click to Call’ option provided on several websites is also an example of VoIP powered services. VoIP call termination integrates the Internet with the phone call enabling the system. It shows how the technology merges voice and data networks. It enables business organizations to immediately connect to their clients. It also helps in raising customer satisfaction, which is something every business strives for.

Business houses have emerged as the final winner, thanks to the evolution of VoIP. However, for reaping the benefits, subscription to a VoIP service provider is necessary. You can subscribe to retail VoIP service providers who are themselves associated with wholesale VoIP carrier services. While a retail operator will be providing services to the end customers, it is the wholesale provider who provides the network infrastructure, software and technical team which makes the operations possible.

A robust VoIP network will ensure excellent technical operations, flawless exchange of data and non-interrupted service availability. Their technicians keep constant tab on the network and do the troubleshooting if required. In fact, quality of a retail operator depends of the wholesale VoIP operator behind it. If a retailer is backed by a reputable wholesale carrier, you can expect that he will be providing reliable services.

Article by John Peterson

To form, it is in today’s economy, many small businesses face some harsh reality of how to manage your business. Small business owners to minimize storage costs and control costs, and they ride the economic downturn. Many seasoned business owners will tell you the good thing about the way the business downturn is that it forces you to really look at your business and decide what is important and what is not. All operating costs and expenses with a fine tooth comb and looked at during this time that many business owners find the money that was going to waste.

Depending on your business, your telecom costs can eat up a large chunk of your budget. Over the past few years, VoIP technology has really come of age as the costs are lower and services are better. Below are 5 reasons you should consider a switch to VoIP technology in your business in 2010.

1 – it’s cheaper than the old-fashioned telephone service. While you will be spending several hundred dollars in equipment to get yourself set up for a long period of time can save you big. One of the biggest savings in long distance charges. In addition, to pay the long distance access charges, each month, most of the traditional phone companies charge much higher rates than the IP telephony service providers. Most VoIP plans come standard with almost every feature you can think of, and the traditional phone companies usually charge a monthly fee of even the most basic features. These fees can add to quickly add to your monthly bill.

2 – Unified Communication. “Unified Communications” is a fancy word to describe the ability to integrate your VoIP phone service with other means of communication such as email and computer applications. With unified communications have the ability to have voice mail messages via e-mail directly to you, where you can be. Long gone are the days, you must re-apply to the office to see if there are messages waiting. Another great VoIP by integrating it into the CRM (customer relationship management) program for you business. Imagine the phone rings, your computer screen automatically appears on your customer account history, before you even pick up the phone. Talk about great customer service tool.

3 – the technology is here. Chronically decreased the early days of VoIP phone calls and sounding like your calling rate from Mars. Over the past few years, bandwidth has increased the rate in which businesses can operate in several applications, including VoIP over their Internet connection without loss of quality. Services, VoIP and streaming video a priority for data transmission technology, which offers quality as well as pave the way for voice over Internet phone calls.

4 – Hosted PBX. Traditional PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems, which were usually only big business, it is very expensive to develop. You also need someone with experience in IT management. With Hosted PBX, the system is hosted on a remote server, where you or your service provider can manage it remotely. All of this can be done in a traditional PBX system, while providing small and home based business a professional image, they have to compete with the big boys fraction of the price.

5 – This is still, whether you are ready for it or not.

Traditional phone service way of dinosaurs. High taxes, long-term contracts and poor customer service was a traditional feature of the phone companies for a long time. Hosted PBX VoIP plans offer a small business owner to lower telecom costs, more efficient and able to take their customer service to a higher level. There are dozens of IP telephony service providers to choose, the key is to educate yourself about the technology and find a seller who can provide appropriate support and advice Seemless transition.

Voice Over IP, also known as VoIP is the name of a new communications technology that changes the meaning of the telephone call. VoIP means voice transmitted over a computer network. Generally speaking, the main benefit of utilizing the Voice over IP, or VoIP technology in your Los Angeles based business revolves around efficiency and cost.

Los Angeles VoIP operates over most network types that use Internet Protocol, known as IP. IP technology unites organizations many locations, including mobile workers, into a single converged network. It promises cost savings by combining voice and data on one network that can be centrally maintained and the running of voice cables is not necessary. There is no need of purchasing phone system equipment which is a big cost saving. With VoIP you are saving money on your phone bill and your phone equipment.

New communications technology designed specifically for small and medium businesses. The new Los Angeles VoIP phone, which consists of Voice over Internet, and PC networking system earns you more business through better communication. There are many features associated with Los Angeles VOIP like one inbox to check phone messages as you would normally, along with check email messages with text to speech, which automatically reads your email to you over the phone and reply, forward or delete any type of message. Besides With a VoIP phone and a high speed internet connection, remote users can be a virtual extension of the office or call any IP site with no long distance charges.

Besides the above mentioned facilities Los Angeles VOIP offers your call routing presence automatically and allows sending calls to any remote location. With VoIP system in each of your office locations, you can incur no long distance charges between sites or transfer or access calls to or from any site. Also with VoIP, each user can personalize how calls are answered via an easy drop down menu in an admin interface.

Besides the above mentioned advantages Los Angeles VOIP services are cost saving, portable and convenient utilizing the fact that users can take their equipment anywhere they have through an Internet signal with the ability to transition between laptop, desktop, and even mobile phones with ease and convenience. The next important advantage associated with Los Angeles VoIP services are that they help in removing geographic limitations.

Summing up in nutshell, Los Angeles VoIP services will be able to offer all of the members of your workforce voice and data features and remote workers will be better able to handle and engage in organizational meetings, share documents, and manage customer interactions thereby making the wise business decision by outsourcing.

The importance of VoIP Internet broadband phone service cannot be overemphasized. As many of us are aware, in Internet broadband phone service, “broadband” connections are used to facilitate the transfer of voice signals over IP networks.

Voice over IP, or IP telephony as it is commonly called, is quite fascinating. This technology changes voice signals to digital data packets before transferring them over IP networks to different destinations. At the receiver’s end, the digital data packets get changed into voice signals. For ordinary users and subscribers to VoIP phone services, there is nothing amiss; calling via VoIP would seem quite like making calls using the traditional phone networks.

Setting up of a VoIP internet phone service does not require much. The broadband providers do their bit in facilitating the entire process. In many instances, users of broadband phone services are provided with IP phones that can be directly connected to a router or a modem. Potential users can also use the analogue telephone adapter (ATA); this equipment is connected to a router or a modem. In this way, even normal phones can be used to make low cost international calls. A lot of options are available in the market that makes the entire experience an enjoyable one. And the joy that an user would feel while making low costs calls to almost anywhere in the world using this service has to be experienced to be believed.

The merits of subscribing to the services of broadband providers are many. An user is able to achieve significant efficiencies in call rates, for instance. Moreover, that extra bit is always a part of many of the broadband phone services and plans. This could include features such as call waiting, voice mail, caller ID. No extra money is charged from the customer for these specialized services.

However, like with all good things, there are certain hiccups while using broadband internet services. By very definition, these services are dependent on a ‘high speed’ broadband internet connection. This means that phone services are adversely affected, when there is some problem with internet connectivity. Moreover, there are certain reliability and security issues that need to be taken care of and efforts are on at several levels to address all these problems.

In the mean time, users can go ahead and use the services to ‘connect’ with people who matter in a cost efficient manner. The telephone bills are significantly less, when the costs of making phone calls using VoIP are compared to the costs of doing the same through the traditional phone systems. Sometimes, the reduction is as much as 60 per cent.

However, to get all the benefits, selection of broadband providers become very important. In this context, it can be said that several plans and programs are available from various providers of repute. One could get to know more about these deals; an that too from the comfort of one’s homes or workstations; by browsing online through the e-portals on which many of these deals are being showcased.

However, the terms and conditions should be properly understood before a person subscribes to any such program. Special care must be taken to understand the conditions that could sometimes be given in fine print. Moreover, the merits and the drawbacks of the different plans have to be assessed viz-a-viz the specific needs and requirements of different categories of users.

And the great news is that switching from a traditional service provider to VoIP broadband phone service is not at all difficult. Some broadband providers offer free trial of their services before a user makes the final purchase decision. This way he or she gets a feel of making calls through the Internet – without committing to it all the way.

The emerging IEEE 802.16 standard, commonly known as WiMAX, promises to deliver last mile wireless broadband internet access capable of carrying data intensive applications, such as VoIP and streaming video, to Metropolitan Area Networks, as well as sub-urban and rural communities. WiMAX is considered a disruptive technology, designed as an alternative to fixed line DSL and coaxial technologies, and with its 802.16e revision, the cell phone networks as well.
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave AXcess will operate over licensed and non licensed frequencies using non line of sight (NLOS) and line of sight technologies, extending broadband coverage to cities and towns wirelessly via a metro area network. Additionaly, because of its far reaching capabilities and ease of implementation, wimax is the one technology likey to bridge the Digital Divide, connecting underdeveloped regions and sparsely populated rural areas much more cost effectively than deploying a wireline infrastructure.
WiMAX and WiFi Compared
The widespread adoption of the wireless LAN in the business community, as well as the emergence of WiFi hotspots in public areas, airports, hotels and cafes, has been of tremendous significance in providing mobility to business people and consumers alike. Thanks to the open standards guided by the 802.11 committee and the WiFi Alliance, WiFi technology is becoming ingrained in our society. WiMAX plans to take WiFi a step further.
While the two technologies may sound the same, they are from their conception designed for totally different applications. WiFi is a short range standard that was designed primarily as an extension of the local area network (LAN) to provide mobility for the end user. It operates over unlicensed frequencies and has a range of about 100 meters, depending on obstructions. Typically one access point will be connected to a fixed line network, either a wired LAN or a DSL/cable broadband connection, and the range can be extended by adding more access points at appropriate distances.
WiMAX, on the other hand, is designed to function as a carrier network, or a wireless Internet service provider (WISP), blanketing whole cities and regions with broadband Internet access comparable to DSL. Coverage in optimal conditions could reach 50 kilometers, but in reality are more like 5 km for users with NLOS customer premise equipment (CPE), or up to 15 km with a CPE connected to an external line of sight antenna.
As the older more established technology, the 802.11 WiFi has been used in a mesh topology to cover larger areas such as college campuses and municipalities, for example to connect the terminals in police vehicles to their database. The emerging 802.16 WiMAX will be better suited for larger deployments, and will in fact compliment the private WiFi networks by offering a cheaper and more secure Internet access for data and voice applications.
The WiMAX Standards: Fixed, Nomadic, and Mobile
The 802.16 standard developed by the IEEE envisions a fixed wireless broadband network operating in the spectrum range of 10 GHz to 66 GHz. Originally, only the licensed spectrum was addressed in this range, and line-of-sight multipath technology was dealt with by adopting OFDM as the standard. Subsequent revisions added the 2 GHz to 11 GHz band to the spectrum, and incorporated support for non-line-of-sight technologies and Quality of Service (QoS) techniques, a prerequisite for such time sensitive applications as voice and video.
The revision known as 802.16-2004(d) rolled up all the previous revisions and then added some. Most of these original issues dealt with the Physical and Media Access Control layers, and resulted in a standards list of optional and mandatory elements by which vendors could design their products.
The resulting fixed WiMAX standard has a data rate of up to 40 Mbps, support for half and full duplex transmission, improved QoS, and the incorporation of multiple polling techniques, ultimately reducing packet collisions and overhead.
Base stations are to support several different topologies, such as wireline backhauling, microwave point to point connections, and the ability for the WiMAX base station to backhaul itself by reserving a part of the bandwidth for that purpose.
By design, 802.16d would cater to the residential and small business markets offering wireless broadband access with speeds comparable to DSL. Enterprise markets could be served at T1/E1 data rates.
While this version of WiMax is called fixed, it is in all actuality nomadic. Users on a private WiFi network indoors could be passed off seamlessly to the publicWiMAX network when moving outdoors, their hardware determining the best network available. Devices on the WiMAX data network would include laptops, PDAs, and smart phones equipped with an on board WiMAX capable chip or PC card, utilizing the spectrum for voice, data, video, and music transfers.
Nomadic WiMAX provides for limited mobility in that the range of coverage is handled by the same base station.
WiMAX Goes Mobile
With the adoption of the 802.16e revision in late 2005, all the hype has been on Mobile WiMAX, a technology designed to compete with the cellular networks.
With major support from manufacturers like Intel, Motorola, Siemens, and Nokia among others, mobile WiMAX is built on open standards and is purported to be 4 times faster than the cellular 3G technologies (EVDO, HSDPA). Significant cost savings can be achieved for voice applications by placing calls over the Internet through VoIP.
802.16e provides for fast and seamless handoffs between base stations, with a cell radius of about 3 miles, similar to cellular networks. The standard was ratified in late 2005, and real world applications are beginning to show up in 2007, with more robust development expected throughout 2008.
Because this technology is such a threat to the legacy telecommunications industry, it is no surprise that Sprint Nextel will be deploying WiMAX as opposed to EVDO in its 4G network. Sprint has been buying up much of the WiMAX spectrum, and has recently announced a partnership with Nokia to deploy WiMAX to four Texas cities by mid 2008. This is not their first WiMAX network, and telcos around the globe have been doing the same.
The 802.16 standards are a work in progress, and as such, are subject to changes and revisions. As the standards committee works on the technology, the WiMAX Forum hopes to do what the WiFi Alliance did for the 802.11 standards, by promoting interoperability between components through testing, and offering WiMAX certification to vendors that conform to the 802.16 standards.
It should be noted that many of the WiMAX implementations at the time of this writing are proprietary, and thus do not necessarily follow the recommendations of the IEEE or the WiMAX Forum. The broadband wireless ISP Clearwire Communications has over 200,000 subscribers in 375 cites, and calls its service a WiMAX-class solution, utilizing next-generation, non-line-of-sight wireless technology. Other early adopters of pre-WiMAX technology are forging ahead, providing wireless broadband access to residential consumers and the small business market, with many companies climbing aboard the evolving standards bandwagon to assure interoperability and backwards compatibility of devices and applications.

The emerging standard 802.16 defines a network of wireless broadband at speeds capable of delivering triple play access to voice, data, and multimedia internet services. As a disruptive technology, WiMAX stands to compete with cable companies, the Telcos, and the 3G cellular networks. Thanks to the IEEE standards committee and the WiMAX Forum, the fledgling technology that got serious in 2004 is now being deployed in regions around the world.
Companies like Intel with their World Ahead program have formed partnerships for WiMAX deployments in Asia, Africa, and Europe, in an all out effort to bridge the digital divide. The cost effectiveness and ease of a WiMAX deployment is significant compared to implementing a wireline infrastructure, making the technology a natural choice for underdeveloped townships and hard to reach localities.
As it stands today, most of the deployments are of Fixed WiMAX, offering VoIP and data transfers through line of site and non line of site antennae, with a fiber optic, satellite, or WiMAX backhaul, i.e. Internet connection.
In 2008, the 802.16e standard known as Mobile WiMAX is expected to come of age. Mobile WiMAX will provide for faster handoffs and will be able to compete with the cellular 3G networks. As a technology based on open standards, WiMAX is considered to be future proof, in that upgrades to emerging standards should be easily accomplished.
In the United States, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin recently stated that broadband access is a top priority for the FCC, and that the upcoming auction of frequencies in the 700MHz spectrum provides an opportunity for wireless internet access to become a third choice for consumers.
Today, most of the WiMAX 2.5 GHz spectrum is owned by Sprint Nextel and Clearwire Communications. Martin says the FCC is auctioning off some of the spectrum in smaller blocks to give smaller companies a chance to compete, and to bolster overall competition in the industry.
The 700 MHz ban would be especially well suited for Mobile WiMAX, delivering large amounts of data at low power. The spectrum is being made available because of the analog to digital television transition. Another advantage of this range is its ability to penetrate deep into dense structures, potentially making the dropped call phenomenon so typical of todays cell phones a thing of the past.
WiMAX is a robust technology, capable of delivering large amounts of data at high speeds over an area of daisy chained base stations. But what will be the Killer App in a WiMAX network? The one application that gains widespread acceptance, makes the most money, and fosters development and competition.
Some think the killer app could be TV over WiMAX. The company MobiTV is working with the WiMAX Forum to do just that. They already bring over 50 channels to your phone or PC, and also offer TV over WiFi.
For municipalities and those concerned with homeland security, surveillance could be the ultimate app. Cities could easily and cheaply cover all departments with a single T1 backhaul, police would have instant access to data, mug shots etc, and wireless cameras could be deployed to monitor security sensitive areas. Crime could potentially cease to exist with big brother on constant wireless alert!
Probably the biggest money maker for a WiMAX network would be Internet telephony. VoIP has already been deployed on WiMAX networks throughout the world, and the very concept of cheap phone calls globally has led consumers to VoIP pure plays like Vonage or Packet8, and the cable companies are also getting into the act.
For the underdeveloped populations most effected by the digital divide, cheap, reliable phone service could open up a whole brave new world.

Voice over IP is a new technology which lets you have a conversation over the internet with someone else without actually using a traditional telephone line. This is possible by combining both the right type of equipment and service provider.
VoIP is also known as Internet protocol telephony (IP Telephony). This technology works by converting regular sound waves such as your voice (which is analog) into digital signals which in term can be compressed and sent over the internet to its destination, in this case the person you are talking to. The person on the other end percieves the re-converted signals from digital to analog. Such conversion is done via modems (Modem stands for Modulate/Demodulate) thats why a high speed internet connection is often required, if its not, then lags and delays may be noticed during the conversation.
As it is with technologies which develop rapidly (VoIP), it is imperative for you to know what this technology is about as well as the latest changes and updates concerning it. Being familiar with these details become useful when making a decision to what phone equipment and VoIP provider to select.
A VoIP service has a range of options that depends on what kind of service and equipment you choose. Among these are:
(1) being able to call only people who use the same service provider
(2) calling long distance, even international numbers and mobile phones
(3) calling from a computer using a microphone or VoIP telephone
(4) using a traditional phone that is connected to a device called an ATA (analog telephone adaptor).
Required Equipment
Since you need access to the Internet, it is obvious that securing an internet connection is required (High speed preferred). Other equipment you will need depends on the kind of VoIP service you avail of. It can be as simple as a microphone and speaker set to a VoIP-enabled telephone set. In some circumpstances, an ATA may be necessary as well.
Making calls for free
It is actually possible for you to take advantage of the VoIP benefits and not pay a dime for the service!. The most famous and widely known piece of software which lets you do this is called Skype. Users who have installed the software on their computers can make calls to people who have the same program installed in their systems. It is also possible to calls landlines and mobile phones but a fee is charged for that.
Of course the limitation lies in the fact that if the person you wish to call does not have Skype on their computer , you won’t be able to make that free call. Nevertheless, this option is widely popular among people who wish to try out the technology without having to pay a subscription fee for it.
Whether you choose a free service such as PC to PC calling with Skype or subscribe to a service provider using a provider such as Vonage, touching base with someone in the neighborhood or across the globe has become not only easier but cheaper as well. All you need is to know what you want and the amount of money you’re willing to invest to avail of it – there is bound to be service that will address your requirements. Once that is settled, it’s just a matter of reaching out and touching someone.
If you want to know more about VoIP visit our basic guides at the VoipDocument.